Motor control



Nov. 6, 1945. C. BRONGERSMA MOTOR CONTROL Filed Jan. 2, 1943 W gy/ 20 Patented Nov. 6, 19 1s MOTOR CONTROL Cornelius Brongersma, Muskegon Heights, Mich, assignor to Manning, Maxwell a Moore, Ina, Muskegon, Mich a corporation of New Jersey Application January 2, 1943, Serial No. 471,127

6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in control arrangements for alternating current single phase motors, and more particularly, to such an arrangement which is characterized by the extremely speedy and reliable character of reversibility for such a single phase motor.

Single phase alternating current motors are commonly equipped with some form of starting winding to provide a field which is out of phase with that of the main winding during the starting period. In fractional horsepower, and larger sizes, of such motors, it is desirable to cut the starting winding out of circuit after the motor comes up to speed, and avariety of devices for that purpose have heretofore been employed in the art. One device which may be employed for the latter purpose is a potential relay. In such case the relays actuating winding may be connected in shunt with the motors starting winding, and the latter may be energized through the normally closed contacts of the relay. Consequently, as the motor comes up to speed the voltage across the starting winding, and hence across the potential relay, rises until such relay opens, thereby cutting out the starting winding. Such an arrangement, employing a potential relay for cutting out the starting winding after the motor comes up to speed, is advantageous as compared to other arrangements which have heretofore been employed, such as centrifugally operated switches; in that it is mechanically simple and reliable in operation. However, a potential relay arrangement has thedrawback that it is entirely unsuited for use in instances where quick reversal is required. An electric hoist is a prime example of such an instance. Although arrangements have heretofore been provided for affording such positive and quick reversal when using centrifugal or other speed-responsive switches, such, for example, as that shown in Whitcomb Patent No. 2,274,175, issued February 24, 1942, it has not, prior to my invention, been possible successfully to employ the basically simpler potential relay type of control where quick and positive reversibility are required.

The inherent diiliculty in attempting to use a potential relay, as so far described, in an installation where quick and positive reversibility are required, is that when the reversing switch is moved rapidly from one on position to the other, that is, from forward to reverse or vice versa, the reclosure of the potential relay is retarded because of the relatively slow rate at which the voltage in the starting winding of the motor dies down. In other words, during normal running operation of the motor, a voltage is induced in the open-circuited starting winding and is applied to the shunt-connected actuating winding of the potential relay, thus retaining the relay energized and open. When the main winding of the motor is open-circuited, upon throwing the reversing switch, the induced voltage in the starting winding dies down fairly slowly and therefore the potential relay cannot reclose until such an induced voltage has fallen to a very low value. On the other hand, the motor cannot be reversed until the relay has reclosed to cut the starting winding back into circuit, for it is an inherent peculiarity of the motors in question that they can be reversed only with the starting winding in circuit. In other words, reversal of the potential on the main winding alone will merely cause the motor to persist in rotation in the initial direction.

The general aim of the present invention is to overcome the diillcuities outlined above, and more specifically, to provide a novel form of control for a single phase alternating current motor, which employs a simple potential relay for cutting a starting winding out of circuit, but which is nevertheless capable of affording quick and positive reversal of the motor when desired.

More particularly stated, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of the type indicated employing a simple potential relay for cutting the starting winding out of circuit when the motor comes up to speed, plus an associated control device coacting with the main reversin switch in such manner that the actuating winding of the potential relay is positively opencircuited upon throwing of the reversing switch from'one on position to the other so that the potential on the relay will be killed and the relay caused to reclose instantly whenever such reversing switch is thrown.

Further objects andadvantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

The single figure is a schematic wiring diagram v of a single phase alternating current motor and controls therefor embodying the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, as there indicated I employ a single phase alternating current motor designated generally by the numeral HI and comprising main winding i I and an auxiliary or starting winding l2, as well as a rotor l3 which may be of the conventional squirrel cage type. This motor is supplied with current from suitable alternating current supply lines HI, I5 under the control of a main reversin switch, designated generally as I6, and a potential relay I1.

The potential relay I'l comprises the usual actuating winding I8 and a pair of stationary contacts l9 bridged by a movable contact 20 carried on an armature 2i. The contacts II! are normally closed by the bridging contact 20 biased to closed position and pulled to open position upon energization of the actuating winding I8.

The main reversing switch I6 may take a variety of forms insofar as actual structure is concerned and has been illustrated herein, by way of a simple exempliflcation, as being of the manually operated knife blade type. Thus, as shown, it comprises a set of four swinging contact blades 22, 23, 24 and 25, all schematically interconnected to be swung in unison by a handle 26, but insulated electrically from each other. Coacting with the switch blades 22 to 25 are respective pairs of stationary contacts 21-28, 29-30, 3 I-32 and 3334, respectively.

The supply lines I4, I5 are connected to the switch contacts 2'? and 29, respectively, and also through reverse connections to the contacts 30 and 28, respectively. The coacting switch blades 22 and 23 for these contacts are connected to the respective terminals of the motors main winding II through conductors 34 and 35. It will thus be seen that when the blades 22, 23 are closed alternately against the respective contacts 21, 29 and 28, 30, the main winding of the motor is energized with respectively reversed instantaneous polarity. In other words, the connections so far detailed comprise simply an ordinary reversing switch control for the motor's main winding II.

One terminal of the other or starting winding I2 of the motor is connected by a conductor 36 with both the switch terminals 3| and 32 so that in either "on position of the switch I8 such terminal of the starting winding I2 will be connected to the supply line l5 through the conductor 36, one or the other of the contacts 3I32, and the coacting switch blade 24 which is connected to the line I5. The other terminal of the starting winding I2 is connected to the other supply line I4 through a conductor 31 having interposed therein the contacts I9 of the potential relay I1 and a capacitor 38. The latter efiects the phase displacement of the starting winding relative to the main winding necessary for starting of the motor.

Turning now to the most critical connection of the circuit, it will be observed that one terminal of the actuating winding It for the potential relay is connected by a conductor 39 to one terminal of the motor's starting winding I2. Instead of connecting the other terminal of the relay's actuating winding I8 to the other terminal of the starting winding, as would be the usual practice to connect them in shunt, such other terminal of the winding I8 is instead connected by a conductor 40 to both of the switch contacts 33, 34, the coacting switch blade 25 being connected to the supply line I5. Consequently, whenever the main reversing switch I6 is in either of its on positions, the relay winding It is connected in shunt with the motors starting winding I2, but such shunt connection is interrupted instantly on throwing the main switch It.

By way of summary of the operation of the system described, it will first of all be observed that when the main switch It is positioned with its movable blades in their intermediate or ofi position illustrated, that both windings II and I? of the motor are open-circuited and it will remain at rest. The left and right-hand positions of the main switch I6 have been arbitrarily marked in the drawing as F and "R to indicate what may be termed the forward and reverse positions of the same, corresponding to the directions of rotation similarly indicated by the arrows marked F and R on the rotor I3. Upon closing the switch It in its forward position, the motors main winding II is connected to the supply lines Id, I5 (through conductors 3d, 35 and switch contacts 2?, 29) while the motors starting winding I2 is also connected across the supply lines, but in series with the capacitor 38, relay contacts I9, 20 being closed. The resulting out-of-phase energization of the two motor windings causes a rotating field to be set up which starts the armature I3 revolving in a forward direction. As the motor comes up to speed the voltage across the starting winding I2 increases, and therefore correspondingly increases across the shunt-connected actuating winding l8 of the potential relay. Finally, the voltage across this relay winding becomes suiliciently great that the relay contacts I9, 20 are opened, thereby open-circuiting the starting winding I2 and the capacitor 38 However, the induced voltage in the starting winding I2 remains sufiiciently great during normal operation that the potential relay I7 is retained energized and open throughout the normal running of the motor.

To reverse the motor when it is running in a forward direction, as described above, the operator has only to throw the switch It from the forward to the reverse position. In so throwing the main switch IS, the circuit of the relay winding I8 is interrupted the instant the blade 25 leaves the cooperating stationary switch contact 33 so that the relay instantly recloses. It is to be observed that such removal of the voltage on the relay winding I8 takes place upon throwing the reversing switch, due to opening of the switch contacts by the blade 25, irrespective of any persistence of potential in the starting winding I2. Consequently, reclosure of the relay Ii is assured by the time the main switch It has been moved over into its reverse position. Upon closure of the switch I6 in its reverse position, the main motors winding II is energized with voltage having an instantaneous polarity reversed with respect to what it was when connected for forward" rotation, and at the same time the starting winding is connected in circuit through the relay contacts I9, 20 and the capac itor 38. As a consequence, a rotating magnetic field is applied to the rotor, revolving in a direction opposite to that for the previously described forward rotation, and which causes the rotor to turn in its reverse direction. When the rotor comes up to speed, the induced voltage in the starting winding I2 causes a sufficient rise in .potential across the relay actuating winding I8 to open the relay's contacts I9, 26. As a consequence, the starting winding I2 is open-circuited and retained open just as in the case of forward rotation for the motor.

. upon both the motor windings II and I2 are open-circuited and the motor thus stopped.

I claim as my invention:

aeeaeoa l. The combination with an alternating cursingle phase motor having a main winding starting winding, of a potential relay hav 3 an actuating i ii connected in parallel with toe starting ding a switch in the circuit cor-mer ted to the starting winding, said switch being to closed position, reiers iiig itch by which said main winding may be "so; with rever." instantaneous polarity. and an auxiliary switch operativ y associated with. reversing switch for opening the ciron 2 363* 1' lay coil whereby to close the circuit tine wnidig preparatory to the re- .ie a a co rol for effecting high speed reigle phase alternating current moliming a winding and a starting windi g, be combination with means including a reversi ng switch having twoalternatively available ositions for applying to at least one of said "findings an. alternating current potential of reectively reversed instantaneous polarity in said we "on positions, and potential relay having actuating winding connected in shunt with ting winding and a pair of contacts in with such starting winding, said contacts biased to close when the relay winding is erg'zed, of switch means operative as an iniit to operation of said reversing switch for -circu t ng said relay winding whenever the i tab is shifted away from one of its positions. In a control for effecting high speed reversal cl" 2, single phase alternating current moa main winding and a starting windas well as a phase shifting capacitor in series 'ze starting winding, the combination of including a reversing switch having an position and two alternatively available "csitions for connecting said windings in with other and to a source of alter" current potential with said capacitor in t the starting winding and with relareversed instantaneous polarity applied to one or said windings in respective ones of '3 positions of the reversing switch, a po nlay having a pair of contacts biased to used. position interposed between said start winding and capacitor, said relay having an actuating winding, and means including auxiliary "ts on said reversing switch for connecting relay winding in shunt with said starting it when reversing switch is in either its on positions and for circuiting said relay winding when said reversing switch is in its off" position.

in a co trol for effecting high speed re=- phase alternating current mon winding and a starting wind- .e combination of reversing means for con the connection of said windings to a source of alternating current potential and for reversing one or said windings with respect to the other, means including a potential relay having an actuating Winding shunted across said siarting winding for open circuiting the latter upon energization 01 such relay, and means operative as an incident to the disconnection of. the motor windings from the source of supply by said rever ing means and substantially coincidentally with such disconnection for interrupting the shunt connection of said relay winding across said starting winding to effect substantially instant reclosure of the relay.

5. In a control for effecting high speed revei'sal of a single phase alternating current mo tor having at least two separate windings, the combination of means for eifecting a phase displacement between the currents flowing in said windings upon their excitation from a single source of alternating current potential, reversing means controlling the connection of said wind ings to a source of alternating current potential to effect selectively rotation of said motor in respective opposite directions and to disconnect said windings from said source, means includ ing a potential relay having an actuating winding and a pair of contacts biased to closed position for disabling said phase shifting means by opening or said contacts, and means operative as an incident to the disconnection of said windings from the source of supply by said reversing means for open circuiting said relay winding and for shunting said relay winding across a motor wind== ing whenever the motor windings are connected to the source of said reversing means.

6. In a control for effecting high speed reversal of a single phase alternating current motor having at least two separate windings, the combination of means including a capacitor ior effecting a displacement in phase between the currents flowing in said windings upon their parallel excitation from a single source of alternating current potential, means including'a reversing switch having alternatively available on positions and an off position for connecting said windings in parallel to a source of alternating current potential for respective opposite directions of motor rotation in the on positions of said switch and for disconnecting the same from- 

